NEW YORK -- In his first at-bat since last Sunday, Byron Buxton set the tone for the Twins.
Buxton, back in the lineup Saturday afternoon after a four-game absence due to a right hip impingement, hammered an RBI double on a two-strike pitch to spark a three-run first inning. Following Buxton’s lead, Minnesota launched a season-high six home runs en route to an 11-4 victory at Yankee Stadium.
“Right from the jump,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “Buck goes back in the lineup and right out of the gate does something that impacts the game.”
Buxton reached base twice and hit a sacrifice fly while batting out of the No. 2 hole and manning center field. Following a productive off-day on Thursday, the 32-year-old participated in a full slate of baseball activities before Friday’s series opener, setting the stage for his return to the lineup.
In mid-May, after similar hip discomfort caused him to miss five games, Buxton returned to the lineup with a two-hit game. This is simply what he does.
“Not surprised at all,” laughed designated hitter Josh Bell.
So a day after feeling Buxton’s absence in a quiet loss, the Twins followed their superstar’s lead and broke out the bats.
Kody Clemens followed Buxton’s run-scoring double in the first inning with a two-run homer, his second in as many games. An inning later, the Twins continued to jump all over Yankees right-hander Brendan Beck. Luke Keaschall and Alex Jackson tagged Beck for back-to-back home runs, the third time that the Twins hit back-to-back homers this season. It was also the first time that Minnesota hit three home runs in the first two innings of a game since June 19, 2025.
“It was a fun day,” Jackson said. “The guys are attacking as a team, getting barrels to the ball, putting the ball in play hard. When you do that, good things happen.”
Trevor Larnach joined the party with a left-on-left home run against Tim Hill in the fourth inning, mounting a 6-0 Minnesota lead. Turns out, they were still getting started. Bell launched a solo home run as a left-handed hitter in the seventh, then tacked on a two-run shot from the right side in the eighth. That gave the Twins six home runs in a game for the first time since Sept. 4, 2023.
In many ways, it was a continuation of what the lineup has done all season. The Twins are averaging 4.91 runs per game, sixth most in the Majors. They’ve been even better over the past six weeks, averaging 5.57 runs per game after Saturday’s 11-run outburst.
It’s what makes Friday’s game more of an aberration – especially with Buxton on the sideline.
Saturday is what everyone has come to expect.
“For us to bounce back today and be able to get on the board and continue to tack on was really impactful,” Shelton said.
Speaking before the game, right-hander Joe Ryan noted that the offense seems to put up at least four runs every game. It reached that total eight batters into Saturday’s contest.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” said Bell, an 11-year veteran playing for his seventh organization. “I haven't been on a whole lot of teams that are as early acting as we’ve been over the last month. Getting on starters, attacking the bullpen, taking the pressure off those guys.”
For a while, it looked as if Minnesota would need every last bit of offense. Things threatened to unravel after right-hander Zebby Matthews departed the game in the fifth inning with a right foot laceration. But the bullpen calmed the tide, especially Andrew Morris and Taylor Rogers, who teamed up for two king-sized outs to strand the bases loaded in the sixth inning.
For the Twins, the end result was a doubly-productive day -- a thorough win against the club with the second-best record in the AL, and the return of their best player to the lineup.